Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s other key superyacht destination
and 38 visited last year, with the world’s fourth-most populous nation
having welcomed between 28-31 in each of the previous three years.
By size, the number of 30-40m and 40-60m yachts visiting
Thailand and Indonesia is almost identical. Thailand, however,
welcomed 11 yachts from 60-90m to Indonesia’s three last year, while
the latter attracted a remarkable six megayachts above 90m, with just
one visiting the ‘Land of Smiles’.
Visiting superyachts stay longer in Thailand and are not as
seasonal, with 10 or 11 present for eight months in 2018, six-nine
from March to May and eight in October.
In contrast, superyachts to Indonesia were far more concentrated in the
northern winter, with a high of 11 in January, dropping to three in May and
June, and up to nine and eight in November and December respectively.Superyachts have the space and facilities to offer a wide range of activities; crew can often be qualified to teach yoga, water sports and much moreChartering a luxury yacht remains one of life’s grand experiences, with crew and food of huge importance; let your broker know what you like and intend to do© LADY E / BURGESS© MATT PORTEOUS © ASIA YACHT AGENCY
While legal regulations currently prevent the superyacht
charter business from achieving its potential in Asia, the
SuperyachtNews report doesn’t believe the relatively small
number of marinas to be as big an issue, due to the thousands
of islands and anchorages on offer, concluding: “The charms
of Thailand and its neighbouring nations are the cruising
opportunities, not its marina culture.”
For Lau, though, attracting more superyachts to Asia and
publicising exciting new charter options would give a boost to not
only local economies but also the region’s entire yachting industry.
“We need to encourage more long-range superyachts to Asia and
provide more charter information about Asia-Pacific as a whole,”
Lau says. “With more larger yachts chartering in Asia, there would
also be an opportunity to improve the infrastructure in the region.”